Lee leads CV victory

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — After Friday night's clash between the Crescenta Valley High and La Cañada football teams was dubbed the Gordy Warnock Memorial Game, the Falcons felt confident they'd extend their winning streak in the annual contest to five games.

Sure enough, Crescenta Valley did just that, defeating the Spartans on the road, 34-14, after narrowly scraping by La Cañada, 38-34, in 2010, just two days after Warnock, CV's former coach, died.

"It is huge [wining these two games for Warnock]," Crescenta Valley Coach Paul Schilling said. "That's really what it's all about."

For the second straight year, the Falcons (2-1) got a win on the shoulders of their running back, Marro Lee. He rushed for 205 yards and three scores in 26 carries Friday, after going for 246 yards and three touchdowns in 25 attempts in 2010.

"We saw him on film doing the same thing," La Cañada Coach Dan Yoder said. "We were worried he was going to do that and he did. We just couldn't stop him"

Crescenta Valley had balance on offense, as Falcons quarterback Zac Wilkerson passed for 181 yards, completing 12 of 18 passes, and ran for 29 more.

Lee got CV on the board first, capping off a 12-play, 80-yard opening drive with a five-yard touchdown run, putting the Falcons up, 7-0, less than six minutes into the game. Wilkerson helped fuel the drive, completing all four of his passes for 48 yards.

Things kept going Crescenta Valley's way when La Cañada (1-2) turned the ball over on the second play of its ensuing drive. Spartans quarterback Matt Jones hit Grant Owen, his wide receiver, on a five-yard pass, which Owens quickly fumbled. Masis Ohanesyan recovered the loose ball, giving the Falcons possession at their own 44-yard line.

Crescenta Valley quickly drove down the field and got another score, as Wilkerson hit Nick Ruiz on a play-action pass that went for 31 yards to La Cañada's 15. Patrick Kim finished the drive off with a 15-yard touchdown run, giving the Falcons a 14-0 lead with 4:01 left in the first quarter. Ruiz finished the game with nine receptions for 119 yards.

Lee ran for another touchdown, this time from four yards out, after Wilkerson found receiver Justin Springfield, who had three catches for 62 yards in the game, on a 30-yard pass. The score put the Falcons in a strong position, up 21-0 with 6:01 remaining in the first half.

Schilling knew the game was far from over, though.